Sunday, June 30, 2013

Perspective: What Graduates Need to Know

Our grandson, Alec Schadelbauer,  graduated from High School this year as did many of our friend's children. I wrote this poem for him and them. It is may be applicable to college graduates, as well.

       CONGRATULATIONS

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES 2013

What you have accomplished is immense

And now you are ready to commence.

You’ve taken and handled every test

And have given every one your best.

You’ve mostly followed parent’s advice

To stay away from all sin and vice.

And next year you will be able to vote

Which means you must paddle your own boat.

You now have what you’ve always wanted

To chart your own path, quite undaunted.



There are some things you’ll want for your boat

In order to simply stay afloat.

So that your life does not fall apart

You will need a path that you will chart.

And lest you pilot a “Ship of Fools”

Be certain to stow all of life’s tools

Oh, don’t forget your Moral Compass

Lest you become complacent, pompous!

And keep someone close, you might guess,

To whom you can send an SOS.



You will sail a digital and global sea

The likes of which none ever did see.

You will not want to just drift

With the world in a paradigm shift.

You will have to be your own captain

In whatever job that you are in.

Your net is not to catch a fish.

It’s a “network” for which you must wish.

And work at and continue to explore

Today, tomorrow and evermore.



Luckily, you have a tool in hand

The Smart-Phone helps know-how to expand.

But when you need more than your remote

That’s when you’ll want God in your boat.

And you can have more joy than strife,

If you face all problems in your life.

And if you love your neighbor as yourself,

And don’t place your talent on the shelf,

Then we know that you will succeed

And will have smooth sailing at God-speed.



Wayne Pearson

June, 2013

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